You don’t need to set foot in the iron jungle or rely on fancy machines to build muscle and get stronger. With just a bit of space, a solid plan, and a pair of dumbbells, you’ve got everything you need to make real progress. This five-move workout hits all the major muscle groups – chest, shoulders, back, quads, hamstrings, glutes, and arms – by focusing on basic movement patterns like the squat, hinge, push, and lunge. Whether you're tight on time or just prefer training at home, this efficient routine can help you add on strength and size in 30 minutes.
As well as strength and muscle gains, this workout will also give your metabolism and cardiovascular system a boost too. This is because multi-joint exercises – which this routine mainly focuses on – demand more energy to perform, thus raising your heart rate in the process. According to Centr: “When the body needs to oxygenate multiple muscles at the same time, the heart rate rises so that blood flow can increase, resulting in cardiovascular fitness,” – so, you get the best of both worlds in one workout.
The workout is simple in structure: perform each exercise below for 8-12 reps and complete three rounds in total. Rest for 40-60 seconds between each exercise and then 1-2 minutes between rounds – this should have you done and dusted in around 35 minutes, we reckon. If your dumbbells are too light and you’re breezing through 12 reps, you can either: slow down your reps to increase time under tension, tack on a few extra reps, or shorten your rest periods. The most important thing when it comes to muscle growth is pushing yourself close to failure. Here’s the workout:
- Bent over row
- Romanian deadlift to a squat
- Half kneeling single arm shoulder press
- Walking lunges (or reverse lunges)
- Push-ups on dumbbells to renegade row (can be done from knees)
Aim to complete two to three full-body workouts per week, fuel your body with a balanced diet rich in protein, and you'll be well on your way to building a stronger, healthier physique. Need more workout inspiration? Here’s another full-body blaster that you can blast through at home or the gym, in as little as 30 minutes. Prefer to skip the weights? Try this bodyweight circuit from Arnolf Schwarzengger; it may only be 25 minutes, but it’s by no means easy!
